The two designers talk about joining forces

How does one better what they already do so well? Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Christian Louboutin, with their eponymous brands, have earned a special authority on all things under their areas of expertise. To meet with such expectation as they have come to know—and add an element of intrigue—was seen by the two, more as a challenge than as an imposition.

Last night’s couture presentation was definitely under the ‘where eagles dare’ category. If the last Sabyasachi show reminded you of grit, this was an enquiry in ruins. Grimy glass windows, tattered fabric and creaky wooden floors with the eerie chirp of crickets was not what the audience had in mind for couture.

The unveiling of the looks was a study in the mind of the muse. Let’s call her the anarchic Sabya bride—we are not talking the protesting kind in slogans, more the conversationally challenging one that can make or break a person with a single look. The detailed description of her personality started with haunting hazel lenses and voluminous feathered lashes for the girls—not quite the normal ‘flutter’ you expect. Then there was the proud smirk in the high-necked blouses, opulent coats and dangerously high heels. In a world where flesh is flashed with such ease, does the Sabya bride not count as a rebel?

A melancholy piano score intensified the evocatively tattered dull gold, ink blue capes and hints of greens. The embroidered surfaces looked dangerously sharp. It was almost as if the literal spiky exterior was instrumental in distancing her from the masses. The bride wore red—a phenomenon that cannot be escaped when Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Christian Louboutin take centre stage.